Hungarian Photographer Photographs Refugee-Themed Shoot and Everyone's Pissed

Hungarian Photographer Photographs Refugee-Themed Shoot and Everyone's Pissed

In a possibly misguided attempt to bring awareness to the refugee crisis, Hungarian Photographer Norbert Baksa shot a fashion shoot with a theme based on the refugees escaping from war-torn Syria. The response hasn't been positive.

The photographer in question, Norbert Baksa, specializes in glamour and fashion shoots. His résumé, according to his website, includes Elle, Playboy, FMH, and Cosmopolitan. His latest shoot, entitled "Der Migrant," features scantily clad women in head scarves posing in front a barbwire fence. This is to signify the barbwire fence the Hungarian government erected to stop the flow of immigrants. One photo even depicts a woman being dragged away by a man in uniform. The backlash from the shoot centers around finding the images insensitive. Others feel his shoot glamorizes a tragedy. 

Here are some of the reactions:

Norbert Baksa responded via Twitter:

What's your reaction to the shoot? Insensitive or a way to bring awareness to the situation? 

To see more of the shoot and check out Norbert's other work, check out his website.

[via BuzzFeed]

Stephen Atohi's picture

Stephen Atohi is a film and fine art digital photographer based in Charleston, SC. His specialities are in portraits, weddings, and travel photography.

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20 Comments

but fashion is only about the clothes! DOH!

I met a Syrian refugee the other day who gained asylum in Egypt, and then received a visa to come to the US. She gave birth to her child here and her husband is still stuck in Egypt unable to get a visa. The baby just turned 1 years old on Sunday.

I wonder how she would feel if she saw these photos.

Show her the photos and share her reaction. It will be a genuine reaction.

You really jumped the shark.

this fashion shoot doesn't reflect anything. It's just a cheap trick to get attention. And the theme chosen shows a massive amount of bad taste. It's similar to benetton using HIV patients or the famous burnt vietnam kid to get more views for an ad. It's just disgusting. And not art. just cheap.

I doubt she would give a sh1te about the photos, she is probably a more concerned about getting a visa for her husband.
Some people look for things to offend with and others look for things to be offended by. this is possibly a case where the two have come together in joyful harmony. People should ignore the photos if they don't like them as it would deny the photographer what he wants (publicity).

There are actual genuine issues relating to the refugee crisis which is escalating, a set of photos is not one of them.

You really jumped the shark too.

On second thought, you're right. I should show her this next time I see her, sensibilities be damned. There isn't any way that anyone could ever be offended about anything. It's not our job to care about one person being offended!

I make no such propositions, simply hyperbolic suggestion in jest. I recognize someone may have a negative emotional response. I'm merely presenting the idea that appropriating someone's struggle, but presenting it in the guise of fashion and suggesting the idea of social commentary, isn't necessarily the proper vessel for communicating the humanitarian plight of a group of people.

You've done a fine job of placing intent and suggesting my dialogue for me. Please don't mistake me for the people who are outraged or misguidedly offended by these photos. But hey, the model is wearing my favorite designer and I think I'll buy that head scarf and those shoes for my girlfriend.

You have an odd way of showing empathy for plight. I'm not even sure sympathy is in your wheel house. Yeah, I think I would hesitate to share these photos with someone who fled from their civil war. Call me crazy.

So rather than do an amazing photojournalism type project highlighting the struggles of the refugees, this person decided to have a fashion shoot, objectifying women and spotlighting Chanel? I really just dont have anything nice to say about it. This in no way brings awareness to the situation. My son's best friend is a refugee from Jordan (his entire family moved here 10 years ago) and their experience is certainly not something to glorify or romanticize. There are some things we have to handle carefully and this is one of them. We'd not do a fashion shoot at Auchwitz because it's just socially unacceptable. This "refugee" shoot ranks right up there.

He didn't highlight the problem. He exploited it.

It's not everyday an artist is easily understood. Most of the time - audience don't!
After reading the article, I came to realize that maybe the photographer is portraying a message in a field of photography where he excels and that is commercial fashion for him. Though the images might really look offensive for a lot, I do believe that it is not his intention. There might be good ways to send a message to the world thru photos, and the photgrapher is speaking a "language" not many will understand.
The internet has become a judgemental community where we forget to see what's on the other side of the coin.

Salvador Dali used to say that there is no good or bad publicity, there is just publicity. This might be the right or wrong way to raise awareness, it clearly makes people talk about the migrants, and by putting fashion into it, it will clearly ring like something "very wrong" to many, raising the "red flag" and buzzing somehow.

Should we condemn ? who are we to condemn ? It's work, it's good fashion work, it's on a topic we like or dislike, agree or disagree with... ok and ?

For 99.9% of us own smartphones, tablets, laptops... do we even consider not having all this at the cost of the lives of people in china, gold mines, lead mines in africa, polluted waters, massive suicide rates in factories ? wearing clothes for 1$ when we know they are produced by people earning 7$ a month ? if we are not facing these issues and addressing them every single day of our lives with our actions, i firmly believe we can't criticise this shoot.

I do not get it. Alwaysalwaysalways someone has to be pissed for something. I do not even find these photos close to fashion for some reason. The sole purpose of fashion photography is to sell. And that is it guys. These can go into themed portrait, concept portrait, something portrait. Bottom line is that the photos look good. So the photographer mus t be proud he made the news. Not something to be concerned of. This is just an amazing example of modern portraiture. I'm sure it was the same with Kate Moss getting nude shots at 15. Photographers will always be criticized and misunderstand. Let's just deal with it already. We see things, we visualize, we test, take make photography.

u cannot help create a world where stupid ppl are famous and then complain when they do shit that upsets u

Journalists/War photogs upload men and women with exploded heads and missing body parts. I think everyone will be okay in a month.

I would think Hungarians would find the images insensitive too. Their country is being destroyed by refugees. They are a small poor country(smaller than Pennsylvania with an average salary of $13,500) and the refugee crisis will cost them billions in the long term. I wonder how the US would react if 12,000 Canadians were crossing into PA illegally every day resulting in shut down train lines, highways, and using up 100% of your police force.

Their country is being destroyed by IMIGRANTS. There is no more then 20% refugees among all those people (newest reports says even 16%) and about 12% women and children. The rest of them are young, well dressed man. They make trouble and mess whereever they are (rapes, murders, riots...) No one in Europe want them in their country.
When it comes to real refurees. Americans should stop supporting terrorists in Siria to stop the war in first place. It is America who destroyed Syria, Libia, Egipt, Iraq and destabilized whole middle east so America should take care of those refugees. Also refugees who already escaped war zone should stay in first safe country they came to and not travel thousands of miles to Germany, UK or other european countries.

wow. people gotta relax. you may not like his shoot, ok, move on. he is thinking outside of the box. if i did not read the headline i would have thought it had a prison feel to it. was it in bad taste ? i don't think so. maybe you do ? that's ok too. good thing she wasn't wearing a confederate flag or have a gun in the pic. let's throw a bible in there too to just spin up everyone. if your hands are up how ya gonna shoot photos ? see how silly this whole thing is ?

Hey, we're talking about it.

I kind of get tired of people using the excuse "bringing awareness" when called out on doing something stupid. I would rather he say, "I was not think straight when trying to be creative, sorry for not thinking more about their suffering" Hey, we all make mistakes. No problem.